Mechanical and electrical properties of polymer-derived Si–C–N ceramics reinforced by octadecylamine – Modified single-wall carbon nanotubes

Polymer-derived Si–C–N ceramics reinforced by homogeneously distributed octadecylamine–functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were synthesized using a casting process, successive pressureless cross-linking and thermolysis. We find that the incorporation of even small amounts of modified SWCNTs leads to a remarkable improvement of mechanical and electrical transport properties of our composites. In particular, we find twofold enhancement of fracture toughness. The Youngs modulus and the hardness show increase by ∼30% and 15%, respectively. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity was found to increase more than five orders of magnitude even for a tube content of 0.5 wt.%.